The MeidasTouch Podcast: Colin Allred Discusses House Race and Turning Texas Blue

Date: December 10, 2025
Host: MeidasTouch Network (Ben, Brett & Jordy Meiselas)
Guest: Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX)

Episode Overview

This episode features a deep-dive interview with Congressman Colin Allred, focusing on his decision to leave the Texas Senate primary to run for the newly-created 33rd Congressional District seat. The discussion explores the current state of democracy, the dysfunction in the House of Representatives, gerrymandering in Texas, demographic and political trends in the state, and Allred’s vision for Democratic strategy in 2024. The tone mixes frank political analysis with the podcast’s signature blend of humor and unapologetic pro-democracy advocacy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Looming House Republican Exodus and Dysfunction (02:00–05:25)

• Discussion kicks off with news that "20 Republican Congress members may be resigning in the very near future", a development hosts believe signals profound dysfunction and an unraveling GOP caucus.

• A chaotic Trump press conference is dissected, where Trump becomes defensive and antagonistic about the number of GOP retirements versus Democrats.

  Notable Quote:

  • Donald Trump [02:54]: “How many Democrats are going to retire? How come you only know the Republicans but not the Democrats?”

• Hosts underline the increasing “productivity theater” in the GOP House and mock the claim by Speaker Mike Johnson that “If we stay unified, there is absolutely nothing that we can't achieve”.

• Reference is made to the reluctance of House leadership to even swear in new members, exposing a deep level of dysfunction.

  • Colin Allred [06:40]: “I completely disagree with what Speaker Johnson said there. I think this is one of the worst House of Representatives in American History. ... The fact that they were in session for about 10 days out of 120 ... is just one indication you can take of how dysfunctional this Congress has been.”

2. Colin Allred’s Shift from Senate to House Run (05:25–08:10)

• Allred explains why, after an early Senate bid crowded with candidates, he chose instead to enter the House race for Texas’s new 33rd District.

• Emphasizes prioritizing unity within the state Democratic Party and maximizing its chances in November 2024.

• Stresses his personal connection to the Dallas area and the importance of strong, credible representation at a time of “losing voices” in Texas’s Democratic caucus.

  Notable Quote:

  • Colin Allred [06:13]: “I felt a responsibility ... to make sure that we have a unified party going into November and that I could best serve ... by looking at serving my hometown and the place where I was born and raised in Congress at a time when we’re losing voices and need even stronger voices and have our best players on the field.”

3. Texas Political Landscape and Gerrymandering (07:09–09:51)

• Host summarizes the aggressive Republican gerrymandering in Texas and courts’ reactions, noting demographic shifts—especially among Latino voters.

• Allred debunks the myth that Latino voters are steadily moving right, citing both polls (Trump’s approval among Latinos in the 30s) and his personal experience on the ground.

  Notable Quote:

  • Colin Allred [08:10]: “...there’s a dramatic change going on. ... Working folks across Texas are aware that they’re working harder and harder for less, while these openly corrupt jackasses ... are [the ones] getting ahead.”
  • Shares a personal anecdote from South Texas: “I was at one flea market where the owner said that it was like Covid 2.0 for them; the business impact of it ... That all has to have an impact in the election, but our job is to make sure that it does.” [08:44]

• He underscores the necessity to reframe voters' grievances about a “rigged system” as a motivation for action, promising “big, dramatic changes” and a broader, more forceful Democratic vision.

4. Republican Party Contradictions & Behind-the-Scenes (09:51–13:12)

• Hosts and Allred reflect on the contradiction of Republicans championing “states’ rights” and opposing “China,” only to “throw Taiwan and Ukraine under the bus” and embrace tariffs that are antithetical to Reagan-style conservatism.

• The podcast pulls back the curtain on silent Republican discontent with Trump, which rarely surfaces publicly. Allred is struck by the moral and political “humiliation” endured by his former colleagues.

  Notable Quote:

  • Colin Allred [10:52]: “What I’ve always wondered is how they’re able to remove their spines from their body and still walk around without that support – it’s incredible to me. There is no scenario where I would feel this way about the so-called leader of our party and just keep it to myself.”

  • On public service:
    “If you believe in public service, it can’t be about you. ... If it is just about you, then you’ll end up being okay with dropping all your views and all your values for someone else’s values.” [11:54]

• Allred sees a glimmer of hope as figures like Marjorie Taylor Greene begin to criticize Trump, suggesting the start of “resistance” within the GOP.

  Notable Moment:

  • Colin Allred: “I am shocked by what Marjorie Taylor Greene is doing right now. I never, never imagined that she would be out there denouncing the president and saying that her colleagues are all cowards.” [12:30]
  • He calls for electeds from both parties to put service and values above self-preservation.

5. Allred’s Closing Message and Call to Action (13:12–14:22)

• Allred appeals directly to the podcast’s audience, emphasizing the importance of strong Texas Democratic representation (“representing 30 million Texans”) as the GOP looks to reduce Democratic seats through gerrymandering.

• Outlines the need for “strong voices ... with a defined idea of what they’re going to do to clean it up” and to focus on “working people.”

• Urges listeners to learn more and get involved at colinalred.com.

  Direct Quote:

  • Colin Allred [13:20]: “We have to make sure that we have incredibly strong voices from Texas... We are representing 30 million Texans and have to have strong voices. I’ll be representing the community that I come from if folks are willing to vote for me... I need to make sure we have really strong voices that will go into Congress with a defined idea of what they’re going to do to clean it up... particularly with working people. That’s what I’ve been focused on in this campaign. I need folks’ help going forward.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Congress’s Dysfunction:

  • “This is one of the worst House of Representatives in American History ... They were in session for about 10 days out of 120 ... We got to go in there, we got to shake it up” — Colin Allred [06:40]

• On GOP Subservience to Trump:

  • “What I’ve always wondered is how they’re able to remove their spines from their body and still walk around without that support” — Colin Allred [10:56]

• On Texas’s Shifting Demographics:

  • “...Our job is to make sure that it [voter discontent] impacts the election, that we go to folks and say, you’re right, this is a rigged system ... We’re not just talking about small incremental changes ... We want to do big, dramatic changes because we’re in a big dramatic moment.” — Colin Allred [09:01]

• On Public Service:

  • “If you believe in public service, it can’t be about you. ... If it is just about you, then you’ll end up [dropping] all your values for someone else’s ... We have to excise that from our politics” — Colin Allred [11:54]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:00–05:25: GOP House Crisis, Trump’s Meltdown, and Speaker Johnson’s “Productivity”
• 05:25–08:10: Colin Allred explains his switch from Senate to House race
• 07:09–09:51: Texas’s political shifts, gerrymandering, Latino voter trends
• 09:51–13:12: GOP contradictions, silent Republican frustration with Trump, Allred on public service and party reform
• 13:12–14:22: Allred’s closing message and public call to action

Conclusion

This episode provides listeners with a candid look at the current chaos within the Republican House, Texas’s evolving political reality, and the thinking behind Colin Allred’s 2024 campaign pivot. Allred’s message is hopeful yet urgent: democracy in Texas and the US at large hinges on committed, values-driven public service, genuine representation, and mobilizing voters, especially those disillusioned by the system. The MeidasTouch hosts, as always, keep the tone lively, energetic, and deeply engaging for listeners interested in the pulse of American democracy.